Device for holding hypodermic needles



sept. 17, 1963 J. ROSE 3,103,688

DEVICE FOR HOLDING HYPODERMIC NEEDLES Filed Aug. 2l, 1962 INVENTOR JAY R085 BY aff/MVV ATTORNEY United States Patent Oil 3,103,688 Patented Sept. 17, 1963 ice 3,103,688 DEVICE FOR HOLDING HYPODERMIC NEEDLES Jay Rose, 348 W. 23rd St., New York 11, N.Y. Filed Aug. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 218,348 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-26S) This invention relates to the cleaning of hypodermic needles, and more particularly to a device for holding the needles during the cleaning thereof.

In hospitals and the like where large numbers of hypodermc needles are used, it is important that means be provided for supporting needles while they are being cleaned and sterilized and while they are being transported to the location where the cleaning operation is to take place.

In my prior Patent 2,704,266, issued March 15, 1955, I have described a cleaning process for hypodermic need-les which depends upon the use of a detergent liquid for disintegrating and removing foreign matter on and in the needles. After suiiicient soaking in the liquid, it is desirable to swab or wipe the insides of the needle hubs, since it is important that the inside of the needle hubs be thoroughly cleaned as well as the needle tubes. Whether a rotary brush or other means is used for this purpose, the hulbs tend to rotate during the cleaning thereof, thereby preventing thorough wiping, unless provision is made in the needle holder to prevent their rotation.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide in combination with a support rack or holder for hypodermic needles support elements which are mounted on the rack and which are so constructed as to prevent the needles from revolving in the holder when the hubs of .the needles are being cleaned with a rotary tool or other cleaning means.

It is another object of the invention to provide a support rack or holder for hypoderrnic needles comprising a plurality of needle support elements adapted to hold the needles `against turning, with the needle support elements being individually removably supported upon the rack in parallel relation to each other.

It is still another object lof the invention to provide a hypodermic needle support rack which may selectively :receive needle-supporting elements of either right angle section or channel section.

In achievement of these objectives, there is provided in accordance with this invention a support rack or holder for hypodennic needles including at the opposite ends thereof upwardly-extending laterally-spaced tabs or fingers .supported by the respective brace members at each end of the holder assembly. The iingers at each end of the holder are adapted to interlock with mating lateral slots provided at the opposite ends of each of the plurality of needle supporting elements mounted on the rack. The upwardly-extending fingers at each end of the rack are adapted to engage and detachably retain needle supporting elements of either right angle section or channel section. When needle supporting elements of angle section are used, the vertically upstanding iianges of adjacent angle sections cooperate to prevent rotation of the needles lying therebetween.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from. the following ydescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a hypodenmic needle support rack in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is an end view, partially broken away, of the rack of FIG. 1 showing a plurality of needle support elements of angle section mounted thereon in directly abutting side-by-side relation to each other,

FIG. 3 is an end view of the holder of FIG. l, partially broken away, and showing a plurality of needle support elements of channel section mounted thereon.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a needle supported bet-Ween two adjacent needle support elements of angle section, with the needle support elements being shown in trans verse section,

FIG. 5 is a view showin-g a needle supported between two needle support elements of an-gle section, and also including a bushing for receiving and supporting the pointed tubular portion of the `hypodermic needle, the needle support elements and the bushing being shown in transverse section, and

FIG. 6 is a view taken along substantial-ly line 6-6 of FIG. 5 showing the needle support element and needle in side elevation and showing the needle supporting bushing in vertical section.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a hypodermic needle support rack generally indicated at 10, including four vertical corner support members or posts 12 of angle section. The Itwo opposite posts 12 on each of the longitudinal sides of the rack are connected together at their lower ends by longitudinally-extending frame Ielements 14. Similar longitudinal frame elements 16 extend between the two opposite posts 12 intermediaate the height of the rack, while the upper ends of the posts 12 on each longitudinal side of the rack are connected by frame ele-ments 1-8, which, in the illustrated embodiment, are of somewhat thicker cross-section than the longitudinal frame elements 1'4 and 16. The two post members 12 at each of the opposite transverse ends of the rack 10 are connected together at their lower ends 'by laterally-extending brace members 20 and are con- -nected intermediate their height by laterally-extending brace members 22 which are positioned at substantially the same height as the longitudinal frame elements 16. The frame elements 14, 16, 1S, and the transverse brace members A20, 22 are preferably attached to posts 12 by welded connections.

Extending upwardly from the inner surface of each of the lateral brace members 22 at each of the opposite ends of the rack -10 is a transverse member 24 which may be formed of sheet metal, and which is cut or punched in such manneras to have a plurality of upwardly-extending, laterally-spaced iingers or tabs 26 spaced from each other by vertical slots 27.

As best seen in FIG. 2, a plurality of needle support elements of angle section each generally indicated at 28 and each including a base 30 and an upright flange 32 are adapted to be supported by the tabs 26 at each of the opposite ends of support rack 10. The base 30 of each of the an-gle section needlersupport elements 28 is provided adjacent each of its opposite ends with a lateral slot 33 `dimensioned to receive one of the tabs or fingers 26 at the corresponding end of the support rack, thus permitting each needle support element 28 to be detachably secured on the rack by the engagement of its oppositely disposed lateral slots 33 with a pair of opposite'ly disposed tabs 26.

The base 30 of each angle section needle 'support element 28 is provided along its length with a row of longitudinally-spaced holes 34 for receiving the pointed end 38 of the hypodermic needle 36. The hub portion 40 of the needle, having opposite flat faces 42, extends above the hole 34.

An important feature of the construction is the lateral spacing between adjacent fingers or tabs 26, as determined by the lateral dimension of the vertical slot 27 between adjacent tabs 26. This spacing is so dimensioned that the lateral spacing between adjacent tabs 26 is just slightly Igreater than the lateral thickness of upright ilange 32 of `angle section needle support element 28, so that there is only suicient clearance for a single upright flange 32 to be received in the vertical slots 27 between adjacent fingers or tabs 26. Also, the length of the -base 30` of each needle support element 28 is made substantially equal to the transverse length of tab or nger 26, so that the end of base 30 of each respective needle support element 28 is in substantially abutting relation to the lower end of the vertical ange 32 of the adjacent angle section needle support element 28.

Thus, it will be seen that a plurality of angle section needle support elements 28 may be positioned as shown in FIG. 2 with the flange 32 of each support element 28 lying in the vertical slot 27 defined by the lateral space between a pair of adjacent tabs 26, and with the vertical flanges 32 of abutting angle sections 28 cooperating to deine a channel in which the hub 40 of hypodermic needle 36 may be received. The oppositely disposed flat faces 42 of the needle hub engage with the vertical flanges 32 of adjacent needle support elements 28 to prevent rotation of the needle 36 when the insides of the needle rubs are being swabbed or wiped by means of a rotary brush or the like.

When a plurality of angle section needle support elements 28` are positioned in side-by-side abutting relation as shown in FIG. 2, it is necessary to use a single needle support element of channel section at one longitudinal side of the assembly, in order that the outermost row of needles may be provided with a bounding wall to prevent rotation of the needles in that row. The single needle support element of channel section as indicated 4at 44 in FIG. 1 used in such an assembly is provided with a lateral slot 37 at each of its opposite ends to engage the corresponding iingers or tabs 26 at opposite ends of the support rack.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the fingers or tabs 26 at opposite ends of the needle support rack may also support a plurality of needle support elements of channel section. A channel section support element, generally indicated at 44, is provided with a lateral slot 37 at each of its opposite ends which engage one of the tabs 26. Each channel section needle support element includes a base 46 which has also a longitudinal row of holes 34 therein for receiving the needles, and opposite upstanding anges 48.

As seen in FIG. 1, groups of both angle section needle support elements 28 and channel section needle support elements `44 may be mounted on the rack 10 together, 'if desired, although best space utilization of the rack is obtained when angle section needle support elements 28 are arranged as shown in FIG. 2, using only a single channel section element 44 at one longitudinal side of the assembly as previously explained.

As seen in FIGS. and 6, in order to stabilize the hypodermic needle 36 and minimize vibration and motion thereof during the cleaning operation, a support bushing 50 may extend through each of the holes 34 in base 30 of the needle support elements 28, fbushing 50 including a circular flange 52 at the upper end thereof which rests on the upper surface of base 30 of the needle support element. Bushings 50 may, of course, also be used in a similar manner with the channel section needle supports 44.

As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, when bushing 50` is used, the hub of the needle is raised higher above the base 30 of the needle support element 28 than if the bushing were not used. However, in the raised position of the needle, the at faces 42 of the needle hub still engage the adjacent ilanges 32 of the needle support elements to prevent rotation of the needle.

It can thus be seen from the foregoing that there is provided in accordance with the invention a support rack for hypodermic needles which permits a quantity of needles to Abe supported against rotation during the cleaning operation, and which may support a plurality of detachably-mounted needle support members of either angle section or channel section, or combinations thereof. The easily detachable mounting arrangement of the needle support elements on the rack permits easy transfer of the needles from one rack to another if required. Furthermore, the use ofthe angle section needle support elements provides an economical construction which requires less material, and which permits a more compact mounting of the needle support elements on the rack, as well as permitting a large number of needle support elements to be mounted on a rack of a given size.

While there have been shown and described particular embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appending claim.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a hypodermic needle support rack having transverse members opposing one another and respectively extending across respective opposite ends of the rack, each of said transverse members having a series of laterally-spaced lingers extending upwardly therefrom, hypodermic needle support elements of L-shaped angle section having a base and a single vertical flange extending upwardly from one side thereof, said needle support element base having a series of longtudina1- spaced holes for receiving the pointed ends of the hypodermic needles while supporting their hubs on the base, said upwardly-extending lingers on the transverse member being spaced apart a distance but slightly greater than the thickness of the vertical ange of the needle support, said needle support elements having a mounting slot at each of their ends receiving a finger of the transverse members, said lateral mounting slots being dimensioned and arranged on the ends of the elements to allow the needle support anges to be positioned in the spaces between the fingers and retained from being tilted by the sides of the ngers, the width of spaces between the vertical flanges of two or more needle support elements when mounted over adjacent fingers of the support rack being a distance corresponding to the distance between parallel ilat sides of the hubs of the hypodermie needles so that they may be retained against rotation between the ilanges when their hubs are cleaned with a rotary brush.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,815,863 Larson Dec. 10, 1957 2,902,169 Rose Sept. 1, 1959 3,013,570 Rose D'ec. 19, 1961 

